The greener house effect

Measures to reduce CO2 levels mean big changes on the home front, but the task to refit Britain’s 26m homes remains daunting

When a well-known building materials company offered to fit free loft
insulation in every house on a street, the residents all declined. Despite
the obvious benefits, many simply could not face having to clean out their
crammed lofts.

It is just one of the many challenges facing David Clarke, chief executive of
the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), as he prepares to make Britain’s
homes greener.

The institute, a new public-private partnership involving some of Britain’s
biggest companies including Rolls-Royce and BP, has the task of transforming
the energy efficiency of the entire housing stock. With 26m homes and a
deadline of 2050, Clarke recognises it is a mammoth undertaking.

“The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) wants all homes to
receive a comprehensive package of measures by 2030, but even if we take the
full 40 years we will have to refurbish 12,500 homes a week. That’s a city